Secretary of State Marco Rubio is traveling to Panama late next week in his first official diplomatic trip late, amid heightened tensions over President Trump’s threats to retake the Panama

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will likely travel to Central America in the first week of February, a source familiar with the planning said.

Marco Rubio will travel to Panama on his first trip abroad as secretary of State. The visit comes as Donald Trump looks to reclaim Panama's canal.

China's expanding footprint in Latin America is expected to be high on the agenda when US Secretary of State Marco Rubio visits Panama next week on his first overseas trip since taking office, according to observers.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio's visit to Central America comes after President Donald Trump has repeatedly promised to take the Panama Canal back.

Marco Rubio's first trip as U.S. secretary of state to Central America to address migration and Panama Canal concerns.

The new US Secretary of State's first trip abroad is dominated by Donald Trump's rigid migration policy and his Panama Canal plans. Marco Rubio is

Secretary of State Marco Rubio will travel to Central America for his first trip as the top US diplomat. Rubio is expected to depart late next week for Panama, Guatemala, El Salvador, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic, State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce said.

Tensions between the U.S. and China have been rising for some time now, and Rubio's appointment has widely been seen as a sign that Trump plans to maintain a hard line on China during his second term. One of the most outspoken China hawks in Washington, Rubio has introduced several bills targeting the Chinese Communist Party.

Newly minted Secretary of State Marco Rubio will be heading to Panama during his first trip as head of the Trump administration's State Department. President Trump, of course, has spoken at length about his desire to retake the Panama Canal,

They say they fought too hard to wrest it from the U.S. to now hand back the waterway, which is part of the nation’s identity.